


That Could Work

by BowBows



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Multi, Rating May Change, Unrequited Love, White House
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-07-18 09:20:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7309291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BowBows/pseuds/BowBows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lafayette needed to stop the rumors. John volunteered. Now, they have to make everyone else believe that they are dating.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Plan

“Figure it out Lafayette. I will support you no matter what, but, if the rumors are not put to rest, you could lose your position. See you tomorrow.”  
Lafayette threw his phone to the ground after he ended the call. George only wanted the best. Lafayette knew that, however, what George wanted was outrageous. The phone call started out pleasant, the two sharing how their days went and plans for the extended break while the senator sorted out the new gun laws. George had invited Gilbert to dinner with him and Martha. Lafayette knew how awkward it was for the Washingtons to have to drag him around on their date nights. That led to George wondering if Lafayette had a partner yet, leading to the two of them discussing the difference between dating someone and just fucking. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, or more commonly known as ‘The Republicans who could not shut their fucking mouths for five seconds’ , were, as always, spewing hate-filled lies to the press about the chief of staff bringing hookers to the oval office, and the press ate it up. People Lafayette have never heard of were ‘coming out’ as his secret lovers who he would pay for casual sex almost daily. Even though he told George that everything Jefferson and Madison said was a lie, he told Lafayette that the rumors could taint his reputation permanently. By the end of the phone call, Washington said to just find a friend who would be willing to say that they were dating Lafayette the entire time to give the press something new to frenzy over. However, right now, Lafayette needs a drink and his friends.  


He scrolled through his contacts until the perfect trio came into view.  


_KissMeImFrench: Mes amis, I need you. Tres vite!!_  


_GreenEggsandHamilton: But I am in the middle of debating with someone about the new laws and how they truly will help our country prosper_  


_TailorSwift: Sending Jefferson nine tweets that are all at the maximum character limitand calling him “filthier than that shade of pruple he was wearing in the other day” does not count as debating_  


_GreenEggsandHamilton: All my points are valid and I have twenty more_  


_TailorSwift: Also, I am out with Peggy so I cant help you tonite_  


_KissMeImFrench: Si-vous plait!!!_  


_TurtleMyAss: Answer the door_  


Lafayette dropped his phone and ran to the door of his apartment. John stood in his light blue pajama pants and black tank top. He was playing something on his phone when the door was opened. He looked up once the door was open and smiled at the frenchman. “Hey. What’s wrong Laf?”, he said as he placed one arm on Lafayette’s shoulders. Lafayette grabbed John’s arm and dragged him to the living room. In there, an open bottle of wine sat with no glasses on the coffee table across from the loveseat. John took a seat on one side of the couch while the host went into the kitchen to get some glasses.  


“ You ‘ave ‘eard the sick rumors about me,non?” Lafayette yelled from the kitchen.  


“Which ones? I heard one that you and Jefferson are secretly the same person and just switch out every time something new happens. And another about how you and Alex sent Madison a letter pretending to be Jefferson confessing his undying love”, John said. Lafayette came back into the room with two glasses and an unamused look on his face.  


“You Americans. With your lies. Only one of those is true by the way”, he said. His French accent became thicker whenever he got emotional.” Washington called me and told me about ‘ow the press is saying I am bringing prostitutes into the oval office. Now, people are coming forward and saying I am their, ‘ow do you say, ‘infant father’. I ‘ave been ‘ere for ten years and I ‘ave never ‘ad sex with any person that would lead to a child, John. Washington says they might remove me. What should I do?”  


“Baby daddy, Laf”, John said and suppressed a laugh as he pat the spot beside him. Lafayette sat down after putting the glasses on the table and laid his head on John’s lap. Finger began running through the frenchman’s hair, something John knew calmed his friend down. “ Do you remember when me and Alexander broke up, and Angelica had to find a way to tell the press?” He did.Washington was just elected president, and asked Alexander to be Secretary of the Treasury. Alex said yes without asking John beforehand if he wanted to move to D.C. full time. John had a stable job at a local shelter in New York City,but he was willing to give it up to support his boyfriend of five years. Six months into living at the capital, John began to notice something was going on with Alex. He would come home either late and disheveled or not for multiple days. No more date nights. They even began sleeping in separate rooms: John in the bedroom and Alex in his office. Finally, John came home to find Alexander and Maria Reynolds, some reporter, in their bed. 

John moved in with Lafayette after this for a few months and would not leave his room. The poor boy was heartbroken.  


John was dragged out of bed every day by Lafayette to make sure the boy ate. Tissues were abundant in the apartment. Occasionally,John would crawl into bed with Lafayette and pour his heart out about the plans he had for his future with Alexander and how they were gone. Every time, they would go to sleep holding each other.On John’s last night in Gilbert’s apartment, he looked more at peace with himself. After two months of living together, they had found John an apartment to live in about five minutes away from Lafayette, and John also got a job as a veterinary technician that was a quick walk from the new apartment.  


“ You helped me through the darkest time of my life. And now, I am going to help you”, John said, looking Lafayette in the eyes.  


“What are you going to do, John? “, Lafayette asked.  


A smile grew across the freckled boy’s face. He moved his hands to grasp Lafayette’s cheeks and said,” Say I have been your boyfriend for the past three years”.  


The room was silent. A light tapping from raining hitting the window was the only sign that time had not froze. John’s eyes remained locked with Lafayette. The frenchman’s features went from confused to shocked. At one point, Lafayette saw John as attractive. Before Alexander joined their friend group, Lafayette was going to try to be with the boy. After the breakup, Lafayette saw John as a friend who did not need to be taken advantage of. Lafayette’s mouth was dry, and for once, he had not response. He could not even laugh it off. The way John was looking at him proved that he was serious.” What?” was the only phrase Lafayette could muster after a few long minutes.  


Life flowed back into John as soon as Lafayette spoke. “Simple. All you need to do is say that you could not have brought any prostitutes to the oval office,because that would be cheating on your love. If you have been dating me for the past three years, how could any of those be true. Say you have wanted me since we met but you kept silent until one night. Say we have been in love ever since and that we did not tell anyone to protect your image and because I was not ready for another public relationship. Embellish it. Do whatever. Just say we are dating. The press will eat it up, the rumors will die, and Washington can not remove you based on the rumors. Trust me.” John’s hands moved rampantly while he talked, causing Lafayette to grow more and more enthralled with the idea. He could pretend to love John. They could date.  


“ That could work”, Lafayette said, sitting up. He turned around to face John. “John Laurens, will you be my boyfriend until your government stops riding my behind”  


Laughter shook the room.” I will be your boyfriend until my government stops riding your ass”. The two broke down into fits of giggles. Lafayette grabbed the bottle of wine on the table and pour it into the glasses. John casually sipped his while Lafayette downed the glass.  


It was around midnight when they stumbled into the master bedroom. John ran into Lafayette’s dresser while taking off his clothes, knocking over various pictures and other trinkets. Lafayette watched this while he stripped into his boxers for bed. The two collapsed into the bed once John told Lafayette to stop putting furniture in front of him. He told John to stop hitting the furniture and go to sleep. Soft snores came minutes later. Lafayette reached down for the comforter and pulled it over the sleeping boy. He slowly moved in and let his lips meet John’s forehead.  


“Je t’aime, mon coeur” were his last thoughts before he went to sleep.


	2. Warmth

John was use to waking up cold. Although he had lived alone for two years, he never got use to living by himself. Even as a kid, he always shared a room with one of his little brothers. Then in college, he roomed with Alex. Until three years ago, he had always lived with someone. It all changed once he moved out of his apartment with Alex. All of his stuff was still there when John began living with Lafayette. Hercules offered to go get it, but John told him to let it be. It was not until Lafayette barged into the guest room with a box of John’s clothes did the man realize that he had to find a new place with new things. His phone was overran with voicemails, texts, and emails, all from Alex apologizing. John changed his number to go along with the move.  


He remembered shopping with Hercules and Lafayette for furniture at Ikea and losing them halfway through the trip. They all found each other in the end, each with his own different dresser and bedspread. John ended up buying the dresser Hercules picked out because ‘it held the perfect amount of clothes in John’s wardrobe, and chesnaught was a perfect color’, and the sheets he chose. Lafayette bought the bedspread he picked out as well, which was a light blue comforter with cream sheets. After buying everything, Hercules pointed out that the dresser would not fit in the back of his car, causing for the three to carry it the twenty blocks to John’s apartment. They sat in John’s living room trying to assemble the dresser. After it looked good enough, Lafayette tripped and caused the dresser to be permanently tilted to the right. Every morning, John would wake up to his cold apartment and crooked dresser, and it would make him feel warm again.  


It was an exhale across his face that woke John up. His best friend’s face was inches away from his, allowing John to analyze every feature like it was his first time seeing Lafayette. He looked so calm when he was sleeping. His eyebrows remained furrowed, like when he was thinking of how to say something in English so John could understand. His mouth was open ever so slightly. His eyelashes were longer than John though. ‘Why am I looking at his eyelashes’, John thought. It is just Lafayette. John looked down to see their legs tangled together, and Lafayette’s arms were loosely over John’s body, causing for John to be trapped in the puzzle that was their sleeping arrangement.  


A bang at the door jolted both men out of their peaceful state. Lafayette’s head frantically scanned the room, looking for the sound. John fell onto the floor with half of the blankets.  


“Wake up Gilbert! We had a meeting set for this morning at eight, and it is eight fifteen. You have five minutes before I come in there. I do not want to see you naked, again!”  


Angelica. Why was Angelica Schuyler in Lafayette’s apartment?  


“She is ‘ere for the awful rumors spread by Jefferson and Madison”, Lafayette groaned.” I gave her a key a while ago in case I was dying and alone. I would have given it to you, but she lives two floors down.” John smiled a little when Lafayette said he would have given the key to him. Secretly, John still had his key, but he did not tell his friend. “I am going to talk to ‘er. Come out when you are ready”, Lafayette said, reaching for the door.  


Looking up, John saw Lafayette was still in his boxers.”Pants”, he exclaimed, causing Lafayette to look back at the bed with a startled expression. He looked down, looked back at John, then shrugged his shoulders. That man would be the death of him.  


John crawled back into the bed. The sheets smelled like a deep musk that surrounded Lafayette at all time. He stared up at the ceiling and tried to go back to sleep. Memories from last night played in his head. He remembered coming over to Laf’s after a stressful day at work. Peggy brought in ten dogs, all vomiting, that John had to take care of. He had just finished cleaning the kennels when Lafayette texted. He walked to his apartment and changed into his pajamas before leaving. Some people gave him odd looks as he walked up to where Lafayette’s apartment was. Men in suits dragged themselves into the building alongside John, and everyone crowded the elevator like cattle. The elevator doors slide open, causing John to have to push through everyone to get out. He reached Lafayette’s door. They sat. They talked. John agreed to be his boyfriend.  


John fully woke up when he remembered that. He agreed to be Laf’s boyfriend. He was now dating Lafayette. Or at least, fake dating. Why did he do that?  


He ran a hand through his loose hair that fell out of his ponytail while he was sleeping. John swung his legs off the side of the bed and walked to the bathroom attached to the bedroom. He turned on the lights and rummaged through the drawers until finding a hair tie. Once his hair looked decent, John left the bathroom. He walked out of the bedroom and into the living room to see Angelica.  


She sat on the white chair farthest from the hallway on the opposite side of the couch. Her laptop was perched on the right arm of the chair as she typed away. She was also in her pajamas, which were rose with white trim, with matching rose slippers. She did not look up when John entered the room. Her eyes scanned across every line of whatever was on her laptop as if she needed to memorize it by heart. Lafayette strolled in from the kitchen balancing three mugs in his hands. He handed a cream colored one that read ‘Mrs.’ in black cursive to Angelica. She finally looked away from her laptop and opened her mouth as if to say something, but Lafayette interrupted her before a word could escape.  


“Three sugars and a splash of cream, just the way you like it”, he said with a grin. She thanked him before beginning to type again. Lafayette placed his mug with little Eiffel towers all over it, a Christmas gift from Hercules, on the tea table before sitting down on the couch. He held out the last mug, one John had left once he moved out, towards the standing man. Lafayette patted the spot beside him for John to sit down. John took the warm blue mug into his hands as he sat down beside Lafayette. As he took his first sip, Lafayette leaned over to John’s ear and whispered,” Four sugars and milk”. John smiled. They had not had coffee together in months, yet Lafayette always knew how to please everyone.  


Normally, John would be seated on the opposite side of the couch, curled into a ball with one of the many throw blankets in the apartment around his shoulders and sipping on his coffee. His feet would occasionally hit Lafayette’s as they would watch something on Netflix. Now, his side was pressed up against Lafayette’s. John felt something wriggling between them and noticed he was on top of one of Laf’s arms. He moved outward slightly to only be pulled back into the side by an arm. Lafayette smiled towards John as he grabbed his mug on the tea table. Angelica kept glancing at the two from her chair and quietly laughing at their awkwardness. Once everyone had gotten comfortable, Lafayette’s shoulders relaxed , allowing John to move closer. A comfortable silence filled the room up with only the sounds of Angelica’s typing and the sips of warm coffee to provide some noise.  


After a pregnant moment, Angelica spoke, “So, I guess this is why you called me up here so early on a Saturday?” Her voice was light hearted yet professional. John has heard Peggy talk about how serious Angelica was about her job, but John had only seen the woman at Peggy’s yearly Christmas party.  


“Angie, this is mon petit ami, John Laurens. I think he works with your sister, no”, Lafayette said, looking towards John for the last part. John nodded quickly.  


“ We have been dating for almost three years now, and the rumors that are being spread are just untrue. I mean, I get it, it is hard to keep your hands away from my Gilbert, but all the accusations are just outlandish to say the least.” John was use to playing this game. He would do it back in South Carolina whenever a reporter asked him about being the gay son of a prominent conservative senator. He would smile and tell the people that everything was okay even when it was not. The reporters would smile at him and push for more questions. Angelica just looked confused.  


“ You have been dating for three years?” she slowly asked, almost as if she could not believe it. Lafayette nodded along with John. She looked almost shocked at the fact of how long they had been together, but her initial shock did not keep her from typing. “So Jefferson is lying again?” Angelica asked.  


Lafayette rolled his eyes.”When is ‘e not?” John laughed at that one. Angelica asked them questions about how they met, John told her the long story of how he got in a fight at a bar ten years ago and how Lafayette had to bail the college student out, which was actually true. John remembered one moment talking to Lafayette about foreign policies and then fighting some guy named Samuel with Alex. Lafayette told Angelica how he made Seabury not press charges by promising him that they would never go to that bar again. He never told John that. Angelica then asked how they started dating. John did not know where to start. Three years ago, he would have been living with Lafayette.  


They looked at each other for the first time during the interview. There were some glances throughout, but at this moment, Lafayette and John were really looking at each other. John did not know which story to tell. Whether he should make something up or just tell some story of an average night with romantic undertones. However, Lafayette took the lead.  


“See, John was living with me at the time. ‘e came ‘ome from work, ‘e ‘ad just started his job, one afternoon, and I came ‘ome early that day because of some false crisis at the White ‘ouse. John is just standing there in the doorway while I am making dinner, covered in sweat , and ‘e looked so stressed out so I offered ‘im a massage. One minute we are relaxing, the next we are in bed together. Love is strange, is it not?” Okay, that was how he was taking it. John remembered an afternoon like that, yet it ended with them both passing out on the couch and almost burning down the apartment from Lafayette leaving the stove on. He looked over at Angelica to see her unfazed by the story. After a few moments, she closed her laptop and stretched out her legs.  


“ I have all that I need for the press release”, she said. John let out a breath he did not know he was holding in. Why was he nervous? Angelica looked at the two men cuddled together before glaring at Lafayette.” But, off the book, I am so mad at you Laf. How could you not tell me that you and John were together behind my back!” She reached over and smacked Lafayette’s arm. He grinned sheepishly, a look John had never seen on Lafayette. Normally, he was proud of every action he made, even the ones that turned out to be mistakes. In this moment, John saw his friend in a new light. Lafayette was trying to make up some excuse for not telling Angelica as she kept passive aggressively commenting on how Laf had been lying to her. John laid his head completely on Lafayette’s shoulder. If Angelica was fooled by them, the whole world would be easy.


	3. Tell Them

The press release has not gone public yet. Angelica had said it would go out until Tuesday, but that did not stop John from refreshing the White House website. Had she seen through their charade and was saving them the embarrassment? Or, did Lafayette just tell her everything? John took a sip of his tea as he refreshed again. He then went to Twitter in the other tab and refreshed it too. No new followers. No dms. Just Alex and Jefferson fighting about some hot button issue. Alexander still took Twitter fights too seriously, tweeting out at least twenty messages in five minutes, and although they had good points, John would laugh at how much free time Alex must have to write them. Jefferson would reply twenty minutes later just countering one part, and there would be fifty replies, all from Alex.  


His phone buzzing distracted John from the trance he was in of reading the tweets. A new text from Lafayette popped up.  


_LargeBaguette: Come over, mon petite tortue!!!  
_

_FightMe: Why??  
_

_LargeBaguette: Have you eaten anything?  
_

_FightMe: …  
_

_LargeBaguette: Je repeté, come over!  
_

_FightMe: Give me a minute  
_

A night with Lafayette would calm his nerves. John closed his laptop and walked to his bedroom. He grabbed a grey t-shirt and some underwear for tomorrow, because he would probably end up sleeping in the guest room anyway. He then went to the bathroom to grab his toothbrush and pause when he saw himself in the mirror. His hair was wild, with loose ends everywhere. Reaching into his pile of hair ties, John pulled out a random one. It was black with purple dots around it. When did he buy this? John shrugged and tied his hair back. ‘Now, I look semi-decent’, he thought.  


As John was leaving his apartment, he grabbed his phone and saw two new messages: another from Laf and one from Angelica.  


_LargeBageutte: Herc is also coming. He got Chinese!  
_

_Angel: Hey, the story will be up tomorrow. The president wanted to reread it before it went out. Also, be free for lunch with POTUS and Laf around noon tomorrow. Dress nice :)  
_

Great. This was really happening. He and Laf would be going to lunch with the president like it was no big deal, and John is freaking out. He ran back to his closet, dropping his phone on the floor. A shattered screen was the least of his problems. What does people wear when they are going to eat lunch with the president and his chief of staff? He is dating the chief of staff. ‘Holy shit, I’m dating the chief of staff to the fucking president’, John thought. The clothes in his hands fell to the floor. It is just Lafayette. He sunk to the floor, laying with the fallen shirts. It is just Lafayette. His best friend. The shoulder to cry on when he has a shitty day at work. The guy who makes him smile constantly. It is just Lafayette.  


They can go on dates. They eat together all the time. They can go to the park. They got this. John picked himself off the floor and grabbed one of the crumbled white shirts. He left the house feeling a wave of calm wash over him as he left.  


\--

Lafayette was ready to strangle someone. Jefferson had came into his office, asking for forgiveness without actually apologizing. He just ‘wanted the relations between France and America to still be tight’. Sure. Lafayette put on a smile and shook Jefferson’s greasy hand. Washington came in shortly after and heard Lafayette’s rant about how terrible Jefferson was. The president just laughed and asked about John. Turns out, George had read the press release and wanted to eat lunch with Lafayette and John. The two then shared some whiskey, to Lafayette’s disgust, to celebrate. George and Lafayette had always been friends, even before Lafayette officially moved to the States to help him. Lafayette spilt wine on George at a social event in Nice while George was still a Senator, and the rest was history. The two sat a talked about John for an hour before George had to go to a meeting, leaving Lafayette to finish writing his response to some oil crisis.  


George had brought up some interesting memories of Lafayette. He talked about how when John first moved in, Lafayette had called the older man, excited and asking which thread count was the best. Another time when Lafayette was drunk at Mount Vernon, he had called out for John to help him to the guest room, when only George and Martha were home. On the day John moved out, George remembered Lafayette would not leave his office and asked if he should get a dog. Luckily, George talked him out of it. Before he left, George hugged Lafayette, something usually Lafayette would initiate, and whispered ,” I’m glad you have found someone Gil”.  


He was finally dating John Laurens, the man of his dreams. Even if they were not dating in the sense of the word, people would see them walking down the street and think of them as a couple. After ten years of waiting, John Laurens was finally his. Lafayette smiled at the thought. His heart beated faster thinking about how they would go on double dates with the Washington’s. How they would have to sit in the back row of movie theaters. Waking up together and drinking coffee. Move out of the city into a house in the suburbs. Adopt some kids. Get a dog. Debate with each other until they both realize that they were saying the same thing. John correcting Lafayette’s use of American idioms, which he does on purpose sometimes. Lafayette did not realize he had walked to the kitchen until his door bell run, signalling either Hercules or John had arrived.  


Hercules was standing at the door with two bags of Chinese in his hands and a grin on his face. The man never had a dull moment. He immediately brought Lafayette into a hug, which was returned, before walking into the apartment. Alexander was behind Hercules, but was surprisingly quiet. Normally, the small man would be ranting on about something that happen to him that day, but he was silent. Lafayette was about to ask him what was wrong when Hercules interrupted. “ Where are your not fancy plates man?”  


“Top right”, Lafayette said.  


“ Those are fancy!”, Hercules yelled back.  


“ Do you expect me to eat off of your paper plates?” Silence.” I did not think so.”  


Hercules came into the living room carrying four plates of Chinese food. Alex took the plate with more noodles and sat on the ground closer to the outlet to plug his phone up. He must have been writing, and his phone died. Hercules put two plates on the coffee table before hopping in the armchair.  


“Do not stain my chairs Hercules, or you will clean them”, Lafayette threatened. It was an empty threat, but the men knew not to get too messy. A memory of an angry frenchman throwing a chair at Alexander at the last Christmas party after he had spilt wine on the carpet flashed through everyone’s mind. Someone’s gift was returned then bought again after a ten page apology.  


The sound of the door opening distracted everyone for a second. John appeared from the hallway in his white tee shirt and jeans with an overnight bag in his hand. Lafayette felt a warm feeling grow in his chest. John dropped his bag and fell into the couch with Laf, mumbling something into his shoulder.  


“What is it, mon petite tortue?”, Lafayette asked in a hushed tone. Hercules shifted to hear more while Alexander also moved closer to hear.  


John looked up. “ I need to talk to you in the bedroom.” He sounded like he could not wait. They excused themselves and walked to the bedroom. Lafayette tried to ignore Hercules slowly getting up, probably to follow and listen in on their conversation and the hurt look on Alex’s face. Lafayette closed the door to his bedroom before leading John to the attached bathroom.  


“We have to tell them tonight”, John said. He leaned against the sink as if it was his only support left. The life in his eyes had fading into a constant state of worry.  
Lafayette grabbed John’s shoulders and said,” Stop worrying.” John did not stop. “Everything will be fine.”  


“But what if it's not? What if everything blows up in our faces? What if”

John was interrupted by Lafayette pulling him into his chest and shushing him. He did not realize he was crying until his tears made small wet puddles on Lafayette’s shirt. He mumbled a quick sorry while Lafayette kept stroking his hair and whispering calming words. Ease flooded John’s senses. He wrapped his arms around Lafayette and held him tighter than he had ever held someone before. This was his lifeline.

After a few quiet moments, John was no longer crying. They stood in the bathroom holding each other, counting the breaths exchanged until shallow huffs became long exhales. John looked up at the taller man and sighed.

“ Are you feeling better, mon tortue?” 

John laughed lightly.

“ Yea, should we tell them now?”  


“Probably.”  


The two walked to the door, with John clinging onto Lafayette’s arm and heard the scurrying of two sets of feet to the living room as John turned the handle. They walked to the living room to see Hercules and Alex, both flustered and out of breath, in the same positions they were in earlier. The tv was now on CNN, and both men were trying to act like the story was the most interesting thing in the world. Finally, Lafayette sat down on the couch, and John sat right next to him, allowing their sides to meet together. Lafayette moved his arm around John’s shoulders to make himself more comfortable.  


“So, how long have you two been dating?” Hercules always broke the ice when the room was quiet.  


“Three years”, John said in a hushed voice. Silverware hit the floor as both Hercules and Alexander stared at the two, wide eyed and mouths open.  


Then, the questions started. How long? When? How? Where? Why did you guys not tell me? I just lost a bet with Peggy and Eliza. All the questions were from Hercules while Alexander just stared, silent for once in his life. John knew that he was processing everything still. Lafayette answered every question with ease, using the same narrative that they had told Angelica.  


After an hour of questions, Hercules checked his phone and said he had to leave. He hugged both men and whispered to Lafayette, “Don’t fuck up man. You got this”, and gave him a little thumbs up before shutting the door. Alex left soon after, still quiet besides a small thanks goodbye. They were alone again. John turned off the tv and collapsed onto the couch while Lafayette began cleaning the dishes. His loud singing of some French song filled the apartment. John laughed, shifting from his stomach to his back. Towards what sounded like the end of the song, Lafayette moved into the living room, carrying a wooden spoon as a microphone, causing John to burst out with laughter. He then started a new song that vaguely resembled some top 40 hit John had heard a week ago. John then joined along, adding in the bits of the chorus he remembered. They went through five songs before deciding to go to sleep. John went to the guest room as Lafayette disappeared to the master bedroom. He was passed out before pulling up the sheets.


	4. Meet the Parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed a one thing to help me a little bit and to make things run smoother:  
> Lafayette is now cheif of staff  
> That was just something I needed to do to make everything make more sense later. Hope y'all are enjoying everything!!

_Fight Me: What should I wear for lunch with the prez?_

  


_Fight Me: Does this work?_

  


_Fight Me: sent an image_

  


Lafayette looked away from his computer to see John’s texts. He was wearing a white button up and black pants in the photo, but the best part was the face John made while taking the selfie. He did not like having his picture taken, so every shot of John either featured a disgusted face or him hiding behind his hands. In the photo he sent, John was sporting the disgusted look.  


_LargeBaguette: Hot._

  


_Large Baguette: Change the pants and put on the jacket that has the matching pants with it_

  


_Fight Me: All my jackets have matching pants_

  


_Large Baguette: Tan one_

  


_Fight Me: sent an image_

  


That was the look. Lafayette quickly saved the image and made it his background. John was a cutie. A knock tore him away from staring at the photo. George was standing in the doorway, with some papers in his hands.  


“ Sorry, John is excited for lunch tomorrow.”, Laf said, putting his phone under his desk. George shook his head, before dropping the papers off.  


“ I understand. I can not believe that you have been dating someone for three years without tell me”. Do not.” But now, a lot of things make sense”. What?  


“What?”  


George laughed. “ One weekend when you were staying with Martha and I for the Fourth of July, you got a little drunk and kept asking for this John guy to come help you. John Jay tried helping you, but you yelled at him to get off of you”. That explains why John Jay never keeps eye contact. The boy always turned around when he saw Lafayette walking down the hall. Laf just thought John Jay did not have the reports ready. Blood rushed to Lafayette’s cheeks. George could not tell John.” I never thought I would live to see the day you got embarrassed Gil.” George put a hand on Lafayette’s shoulder and gave a light squeeze. “ You must really love him. He isn’t just some faker, right?” This came out in a whisper.  


Lafayette looked George in the eyes before saying,” Never, we love each other”. They both smiled one and other before George left. Lafayette looked back at his phone to see two new texts from John.  


_FightMe: Do I look good?  
_

_FightMe: Im takin silence as a no?_

  


_LargeBaguette: U look great!!!!!_

  


\--  


John was sweating. Not the normal light glaze, but enough for him to go into the bathroom after they had gotten a table at the restaurant. He was patting a wet paper towel on his face. The bright bathroom mirror showed his scared reflection. This could all go wrong. It could blow up in their faces. He just needed to leave and apologize to Lafayette later. That is what he is going to do.  


Reaching for the door, it swung open to reveal George Washington in the flesh with two security service men behind him.  


“ You must be John. I was not expecting to meet you like this. I am George Washington”, his Virginian accent was more prominent in person than on the television. John stood speechless for a second before placing his hand out to shake.  


“John Laurens, sir. Pleasure to meet you.” The scared boy from South Carolina was coming out, and John hated it. People fell at their knees when the southern accent came out, but George looked him straight in the eye and shook his hand. He then signalled for the men behind him to follow as he went into a stall. Now, John could not leave.  


He walked back to the table to see Martha and Lafayette enjoying themselves with glasses of red wine. Martha had her hair pinned back into a thick bun adorn with some pearl pins along the crown. Her sapphire dress complimented her chocolate skin and George’s suit. Lafayette was wearing a charcoal blazer with a french flag pin on one of the lapels with a white button up under it. As John got closer to the table, he could hear more of the conversation. Martha was asking Lafayette questions about John. She paused once John got to the table, and he took that as his cue to start the acting.  


“Sorry it took so long, babe”, he said, pecking Lafayette’s cheek. The man looked surprised by the action, yet pleased. Martha gave a soft smile from across the table before looking back at her menu. John took his seat beside Lafayette and placed a hand on his lap.  


The restaurant was not as crowded as it usually was. Liberty was a popular restaurant near the White House that many politicians and reporters came to. The bright lighting lit up the room, allowing for no corners to be hidden, and every small action illuminated. Martha was talking about how they, her, George, and Lafayette, went to the place at least three times a week. John could not afford to go here once a month without draining his savings account. Once George and his bodyguards, who were also at the front door, returned from the bathroom, the real conversation started.  


“So, John, what is your story”, asked the president, taking a sip from his jack and diet.  


“Well sir, I got a degree in veterinary science from Columbia and lived in New York, where I met Gil. I moved to D.C. with my ex about four years ago and moved in with Gil after the breakup for six months before I got my own place. Now, I am a full time vet at the Animal Hospital, and have been dating this amazing man for the past three years”. John gaze into Lafayette’s eyes at the last part for an extra sign of love. Luckily, he was also looking at John.  


The Washingtons both hummed in approval before asking lighter questions. “Where do you live” On the edge of town.” What made you want to be a vet” A burning love of animals and to make my dad mad.” Isn’t your dad Henry Laurens” Yes. Lafayette was shocked about that one. John had a decent relationship with his dad, and the two grew closer after the death of John’s mother. They definitely did not talk everyday, but enough to know the other was not dead in a ditch somewhere. They always argued about politics and John’s life choices, but they loved each other in the end.  


George asked the final question,” Why Lafayette?” Both the men choked on their waters a little. The president continued,” I see Lafayette as a son to me. I have worked closely with him for over a decade. I’ve seen his heart broken, but I have also seen him happier than any character on a made for tv Christmas special. So why have you been dating him for three years and have not told anyone? Are you ashamed of him?” That earned a curt George from Martha.  


The fire burning behind George’s eyes showed a passion Lafayette had only seen when he was talking about Martha or the kids. This man was like a father to him, helping him through every up and down of his life in America. Hopefully, John was prepared for this. Lafayette could feel the hand on his thigh clutch a little too hard during the entire series of questions. Their fingers soon found each other and locked together. Lafayette gave a reaffirming squeeze, and he felt John take a breath before beginning.  


“He has been there for me more than anyone else has in my life. If need a shoulder to cry on, he bends down, so I can reach it. If I had a stressful day at work, his door is always open. In my darkest times, he stood by my side. He has loved me so unconditionally, and I love him with all my heart. I did not was for him to get hurt, whether from strangers on the internet to assholes in the White House. I felt like if they did not know, he would be safe. He told me that he could get fired from the rumors of his sexual exploits while I sat around and made him hide. That was so selfish of me, and I am sorry. I am sorry Lafayette that I made us hide. I am so happy that I can take your hand and say this is my boyfriend and I love him without feeling bad about myself. So George, that is why I love Lafayette, and that is why I did not want for us to come out.”  


The table was silent. Some people around the room had glanced over there once they heard the cracks in John’s voice. Lafayette held on tighter once John’s southern accent came shining through once he started talking about loving Lafayette. He was on the verge of tears, while George and Martha sat across the table, mouths gaping.  


After a few moments of letting the words sink in, Martha said words that made Lafayette and John release the floodgates. “ Welcome to the family John.”  


\--  


They got home around three in the afternoon. Washington had given Lafayette the rest of the day off, and John did not want to go into work. Once they were dropped off at Lafayette’s apartment, they stripped down to their undershirts and boxers and laying on Lafayette’s king size bed.  


“I can’t believe we just lied to the president. Is that not a crime? “, John said, excitement dripping in his voice. Lafayette looked at him for a second before bursting out laughing. They both erupted into giggles.  


“ I was a personal fan of the tears”, Lafayette added.” Really, um, closed the pact.”  


“Sealed the deal?” John questioned, still laughing.  


“You know what I mean. You should be an actor. Amazing. You are amazing.” The admiration in Lafayette’s eyes shone like beacons towards John as the two settled into a comfortable position looking at each other.  


John had been acting his whole life. Acting like he agreed with his father’s right winged views. Acting like it was no big deal to move with Alex down to DC. Acting like he did not notice everyone around him tiptoeing like his nerves were one tiny string. With Lafayette, the acting stopped. He did not push John to be someone he was not, until recently. Even as his ‘boyfriend’, Lafayette respected him and did not treat him differently. He always looked to John when they sat through the rest of lunch if the subject turned back to them. He told John about the news and a new thing that popped up on Etsy. There was no complex dance to find out what he wanted. Lafayette told him. John did not want to be an actor. He wanted to lie with Lafayette before anything serious happened. He did not want everything to change.  


But the storm was coming.


	5. The Worst Is Yet To Come

“Heavy rain is expected to continue for the next three days along the east coast near Washington D.C. . We would like to remind all people to stay indoors and charge their devices in case of power …” The broadcaster’s unusually chipper voice was cut off by the television and every other light and electronic in John’s apartment shutting off. Darkness settled into the room as John huddled into his blankets. He has been sitting on the couch for the past two hours waiting for word of the storm passing or lighting up so he could go check on the dogs at the animal hospital. Peggy had texted earlier before the rain hit that she would be leaving with everyone locked up tightly for the day with enough food until tomorrow in case it got bad.The light droplets that fell onto John’s phone when he first read that text were nothing compared to the loud smacks against his windows now.  


His living room and dining room shared the same space with no divider, and only a counter separating the kitchen and laundry room from it all. John had an oak table that could barely fit four people on the dining room side while his couch and television set up was directly across. He bought a rug, more like forcefully given a rug by Eliza, to make it more comfortable versus the cold wooden floor, but all it did was add to the messy aesthetic of John’s apartment. His feet felt around on the plush rug from under his three layers of blanket. Lightning occasionally lit up the room for only a couple of seconds at a time before letting darkness sneak back in. John’s phone buzzed from his coffee table, but he would have to leave the warmth and safety of his blanket cocoon to answer the text.  


Maybe if he took a nap, the storm would be gone. He lifted his feet off of the ground and onto the couch and tried getting comfy in the new position. Thunder accompanied by knocking at his door startled John. He shed the blankets before reaching for his phone to turn on the flashlight. Led only by the small light, he reached the door. It was probably Ms. Jones, the old woman who lived next door and gave him a casserole when he had first moved in. Instead of a petite elderly woman, John was greeted by his tall, soaked frenchman.  


“ What are you doing here?”, John asked while ushering Lafayette into his apartment. His shoulders were moving quickly, and his breaths were short as he shuffled into the living room.  


“ I texted you, mon ami. My car broke down two streets away. I thought if I ran, everything would be good”, Lafayette said, between his teeth chattering. Small puddles followed him as he continued into the apartment. He needed to get out of his wet clothes and into something dry. John placed his arm around the taller man’s shoulders and began directing him towards the bathroom. Lafayette leaned into John for support as they got closer.  


John moved his phone down to open the door to his bedroom, causing their only source of light to vanish for an instant. He felt a hand grasp at his shirt, and he tightened his arm around Lafayette. Once the door was open, the light was back as they moved towards John’s bathroom. “ You can take a shower while I get you some clothes, okay?” All John could see was the faint nodding of curls. Lafayette let go of his friend and moved towards the tiled bathroom. As soon as John turned around, he felt a hand reach out for his shoulder, forcing him back.  


“ Mon ami, s’il vous plaît gardez la lumière vers moi.” John never learned French but could pick up small bits and pieces from knowing Lafayette for so long. He knew the man only spoke only in his native tongue when he was either very scared, happy, or upset. Otherwise, it was thrown into the conversation when he could not figure out a word. The phrases that John did know was ‘s’il vous plaît’ meant please because Lafayette would say that whenever John refused to come over and ‘la lumière’ from the hundreds of time John and Laf watched Beauty and the Beast together. ‘Please light’. John was able to see Lafayette’s eyes, filled with some unexplainable terror. John watched as he turned around in the dimly lit bathroom and started the shower. The steam from the shower began to fill the room as Lafayette took his wet suit off. They had changed in front of each other before, but this moment seemed more intimate to John. As soon as Lafayette slipped behind the shower curtain, John looked down and blushed a little.  


A soft hum came from the shower. It was familiar yet foreign to John. He sank to the ground as he listen to Lafayette sing with the rain as a background melody. Thunder rolled into the lullaby. Slowly, he felt his body slump against his bed and his phone slipping from his hand.  


\--  


Darkness surrounded Lafayette in the middle of his shower. The warm water cascaded down his body along with the lavender suds from John’s body wash. Laf reached for the handle and shut off the water. He pulled back the curtain and called out for John, yet there was no response. He fully emerged to see the light being shined on the ceiling of John’s room. The man had fallen asleep against his bed. His face was relaxed. The only movement was his soft breaths moving his shoulders up and down. Lafayette walked towards him and grabbed his phone. He pointed the light into the bathroom and opened the closets to find a towel.  


Once he was covered, Lafayette walked to John’s dresser to grab some clothes. The dresser was slanted. Why would he keep a broken dresser? While he thought about it, Lafayette remembered the shopping trip and falling onto the new dresser right after it was built. A smile crawled up his face. Maybe John also loved him.  


Someone rang the doorbell. John shifted slightly, but he did not fully wake up. Lafayette picked up a pair of black underwear and walked to the door. He opened the door to see Alexander Hamilton and Eliza, both as drenched as Lafayette was when he first arrived. Eliza and him both had their flashlights one in the dark hallway. “ Come in. What are you two doing out in a storm like this?”, he asked.  


“Well,I was driving home from the bookstore when I saw Alex trying to walk home. We then saw your car being towed and did not know if you knew. Alex said that John’s apartment was nearby, so we wanted to make sure everything is alright”, Eliza answered. She always tried to take care of everyone she met. Angelica would come into work some days complaining about how Eliza had read about a new team building exercise and wanted to try it out with her sister. She loved Eliza with all her heart, yet the girl believed too much in everyone. Lafayette glanced at Alexander as he was analyzing every picture on John’s wall. He had never been invited over, yet knew John’s address.  


“We are fine. My car broke down, so I was staying 'ere until the storm passed”, Lafayette said, still watching Alex from the corner of his eye. The man had moved towards picking up small things that John had bought over the years. He was holding a large turtle statue with the French flag painted on the shell that Lafayette had bought for him while away in Nice.  


“Are you okay? Do you want me to drive you home?” Eliza persisted. She looked concerned, but all Lafayette was concerned about was getting Alexander out of John’s apartment. He had put the turtle down and was moving closer to the bedroom.  


“ I am fine. John and I were about to take a nap. You are a saint for worrying. Be safe in the weather”, Lafayette said. Eliza gave him a quick hug before leaving the room. Alexander strolled back towards the Frenchman.  


“You know, there is not a lot of pictures of you and John hanging up”, he started. “ I remember when we dated, John loved to take pictures of us and hang them on every wall. Our fridge was covered. But, his apartment seems a little sparse. Doesn’t it?” His words dripped of venom. He was angry. He was going to explode. Lafayette remained quiet. “Another thing, three years. You did not even give him time to get over me, before taking him away. He did not get to hear me explain how Maria seduced me. How I still love him. You kept him from me. We were going to get married you know. I still have the ring. Tell me, does he still make those sweet little noises when you two fuck. I know he did for me. I was his first you know.”  


“Alexander, that is enough.” Both men turned to see John’s silhouette. He calmly stood by Lafayette, grabbing ahold of his arm, like it was his last life line. “ Get over it. I did. Now, I am with someone who loves me and will not jump in bed for anyone who looks needy. The things I did with you do not compare to the love and compassion me and Lafayette share. Now, get the fuck out of my apartment.” Confusion swirled in Alexander’s face. Pain and anger were most prevalent. He stormed out, leaving John and Lafayette alone again.  


Before Lafayette could say anything to John, he felt a pair of lips meet his. They were soft and sweet. This was the moment Lafayette had dreamed of. John moved away slowly after Lafayette did not respond. His eyes scanned the man’s face for a sign of disgust. The sound of a phone falling to the floor as the Frenchman pressed his lips to John’s was soon accompanied by soft moan. John Laurens was the sweetest thing Lafayette had ever tasted. He wrapped his arms around the slightly taller man as they grew more passionate and aggressive with their lips. They fell onto the couch, and John was left straddling Lafayette. They broke apart, staring at each other. John looked blissful with his hair a mess and lips red. He laid his head by Lafayette’s neck, placing small kisses below his ear.  


Suddenly, the lights came back on. The television perked back up to the news anchor talking about the flood watch ending. Lafayette looked down at John and felt no more small kisses against his neck. John rose up and looked around. Panic filled Lafayette’s senses. He thinks this was a mistake. He regrets everything. He wants to end things now. That feeling was solidified once John jumped off of his friend and ran out of the apartment.


	6. Forgiveness, Could You Imagine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this instead of my college essay

John never ran away. Well, not never. He had ran away three times.  


The first time was after he came out to his father as gay. It was just after his sixteenth birthday at dinner. His dad was seated beside him while the Mannings, a quiet family from church, ate across the table. John’s siblings were either at a friend’s house or in their rooms. His dad had been talking about how John and Martha, the Mannings oldest daughter, could get married one day and raise their grand kids. Martha was a sweet girl. She had long brunette hair and dazzling brown eyes, but nothing about her attracted John. He had realized his love of men at a young age, when he got aroused while getting changed for gym for the first time. Every time after that he chose the stall over the open locker room. The dinner had just ended, and pleasantries were flying back and forth between the two patriarchs.  


“Dad, I need to tell you something”, he said, tugging on his dad’s shirt. Henry Laurens glanced at John, before excusing the both of them into his study. As soon as he shut the door, John collapsed into tears. Henry hugged his son and sank to the ground with him. “I’m gay”, John whimpered into his father’s chest, followed by broken sorrys and other apologies. After a few minutes of silence, he looked up at his dad to see the man still in shock. He knew he had fucked up and ran. He passed the Mannings on his way out, but no screams of his name stopped him. John ran to the edge of the county. It was pitch black out when he made it to border of North Carolina. His dad had found him at a rest stop, sleeping on a bench.  


Later that night, Henry Laurens sat John down and told him how his mother died. John’s mother had died of cancer when he was ten. She made Henry to promise to love John until the day he joined her in heaven. They held each other until the morning. Tear stains and stuffy noses greeted them.  


The second time John had ran away was after finding out about Alex and Maria. The site of the two of them in bed together repulsed John. He had no problem when Alex came out as bisexual to John two years after they started dating. He had no problem moving away from their life in New York to follow Alex’s dream. He had no problem putting up with the emotional barrier Alex set up once they arrived. He had no problem when Alex introduced John to Maria as his new assistant. Reading the drafts of the Reynold’s pamphlet was a problem. Going to Alex’s office to have them say he left early was a problem. Coming to his home to find them in his bed was a problem. Running was not.  


John wanted to become a hurricane, destroying everything in his path. Every memory needed to go up in flames. His feet flew past the animal hospital, past the city limits, until he was in a field. The grass was overgrown and flowing in the wind as the sunset along the horizon. John felt his phone vibrate in his pocket once. He ignored it. He walked through the grass until he got to the edge where a tree line meet the property. Everything was going right. They had plans of getting married, adopting a kid, and they even had a name for him: Phillip. They were going to become advocates for the improvement of the foster care system. His phone buzzed a second time. He ignored it. He watched the grass flow back and forth until he could not feel anymore. He wanted to leave this place and never return. John wanted to die. The sunset had already faded from a mixture of deep toned blues into the night. On the third round of ringing, John answered the phone, not bothering to check the caller id.  


He expected it to be Alex, begging for his forgiveness, but a panicking Frenchman was on the other end of the line. Lafayette was cursing him out for disappearing without telling anyone. He talked about how worried Hercules and Peggy were when John did not return after his lunch break. How he called Alex to get a flustered Hamilton. How he was driving down every street looking for John. John told him the general area he was in and waited. Twenty minutes later, Lafayette’s headlights appeared down the street. John waited on the side of the road until the car slowed down. Lafayette jumped out of the car and held John as tight as he could. Tears were flowing down both men’s faces as they embraced in the middle of the street.  


The third time John had run away was right now. He was running down the wet streets of Washington, away from his apartment, away from Lafayette. He should not have done that. They were not suppose to end up kissing. They needed to at some point, but not the way they were. He had felt fire with Lafayette, a fire that had not burned within John in so long. He wanted this to be a wet dream. He could go back, have his way with Gilbert, and never think about it again. At the same time, he did not.  


John wanted to turn around and tell Lafayette he has loved him since laying his eyes on him in the bar in New York. He wanted to talk about the nights he dreamt that he would wake up to the Frenchman instead of Alex. How John learned to love Alex. How he loved Alex, but not unconditionally. He would have never left Alex for Lafayette. John wanted Lafayette though. He wanted him just for one night, to be his. They would be each others for a short amount of time, then go back to their real lives. How when Alex ruined John, he wanted nothing more than to be in Lafayette’s arms. He cherished the late night talks they shared while living together. He watched his heart shatter into a million pieces, only to help Lafayette sew it back together.  


The rain was becoming lighter as John ran further through the city. His damp clothes clinged to his body with every stride he took. There was no turning back. Not when he was so close.  


\--  


The initial shock of having John run away from him had worn off. Lafayette was laying down on the couch in the same position John had left him in an hour earlier. The man was probably halfway to Baltimore by now. Lafayette stood up before looking for the keys to the apartment. He found them by John’s discarded phone. Great.  


John was always running away from his fears. He was ready to challenge anyone. He was fighting the first time Lafayette had met him. One thing he was never good at was talking about his emotions. He let them bottle up until they needed to burst out. Lafayette learned that from the first time he witnessed John running away. He was in a field on the outskirts of town, just standing there. It was not until Lafayette had ran out of his car that the man seemed to reacted. He was broken, and his tears were just the cracks on the surface of his shattered self.  


It took so long to put John back together. Lafayette offered him his home, his support, and his love to only be met with silence. The man he had fell in love with was gone, leaving only a hollow shell in his place.  


Lafayette had to do something. He rushed out of the apartment, grabbing the umbrella by the door. Once he reached the bottom floor, Lafayette remembered his car was broken and a few streets down. He then called the first number that came to his head.  


“Gil, I told you that you can have the day off. What is the matter?”, George’s voice was filled with frustration and concern.  


“C’est Jean. ‘e is gone et je le ne peut pas trouver. Et, and”  


“ Are you at his apartment?”, George asked. Lafayette let out a small whimper in agreement. “ Okay, I am sending Burr to pick you up. He can drive you around until you find John. I will send some other secret service to help find him. Take some deep breaths. We will find him.” Although George’s words were calming, the worry did not leave Lafayette.  


It was fifteen minutes before Aaron pulled up to the apartment. The rain had let up, but there was still a light spray of water falling down. Aaron was a private man who helped write George’s speeches. Lafayette had known the man since George’s first campaign, yet the two never had a memorable conversation. His voice was more montone, and he remained impartial to every office bet and argument. As soon as Lafayette got in the car, the boring air that always surrounded Aaron was actually comforting. Warm air blew onto Lafayette’s face, and the leather seat warmers welcomed him into the unfamiliar car. Once he was buckled up, Aaron started to drive slowly down the street.  


After a few minutes of patrolling the streets, Aaron attempted to make small talk. “Do you have any idea where he might be?” Lafayette shook his head and kept his eyes on the sidewalks. John could be anywhere, doing anything, with anyone. He could be under a bridge somewhere doing heroin or worse, he could be with Alexander.  


“Non”, was Lafayette’s quiet reply. Aaron nodded and began driving away from the city. Buildings turned into trees, and the bleak city transformed into a dampened farmland. They finally saw someone walking down the side of the road. As they got closer, the figure looked more and more like John. “ Stop the car Aaron!” The car door was flung open. Surprisingly it did not fall off. The noise startled John, causing him to turn around. When his eyes met Lafayette, he stopped completely.  


Aaron had never seen a more touching sight. They both ran to each other, collapsing to the ground when they met. He could not hear the exchanges of ‘I’m sorry’s or the noises being made by Lafayette. He watched them hold onto each other until they both stopped shaking. Lafayette was the first to stand up, and he held out his hand for John. The smaller man grabbed onto his forearm and was lifted to his feet. They slowly walked hand and hand back to Aaron’s car before sitting in the back. John’s head fell into Lafayette’s neck as he fell asleep. The Frenchman gently shifted his head to accommodate John.  


“ You too must really love each other”, Aaron said on the way back. Lafayette smiled at the rear view mirror.  


“Hopefully”, Lafayette replied, moving his gaze back to John. His eyes were red from crying, and his skin was pale from running in the cold rain. His hands grasped at Lafayette’s waist in order to stay warm. Lafayette grabbed Aaron’s phone from the center console, earning him a glare from the man. George had sent him a text saying that no one had found John yet. Lafayette wrote back telling the president that John was safe and with him. A small ding was heard a few minutes later, but neither of the awake men checked the phone. Everything was safe, for now.


	7. Chapter 7

Aaron dropped Lafayette and John off at Lafayette’s apartment. He also gave Lafayette his personal phone number ‘so if it happens again, the president will not have to send everyone out on patrol instead of doing their actual jobs’. The tail lights disappeared at the first right turn before Lafayette and John walked in.The doorman gave the two a suspicious glance before Gilbert began rattling off his apartment number and code. John remained silent and kept his head looking downwards and stayed under Lafayette’s arm. Once they reached the fifteenth floor, they got off of the elevator and walked towards the apartment.  


After a few seconds of fumbling with his keys, Lafayette opened the door and guided John through his apartment. Before John could walk into the living room, he was pulled towards the bathroom.  


“ You are freezing, mon tortue. Shower, then we can talk”, Lafayette’s normally smooth voice was choppy and reminded John of when they had first met. The Frenchman had just moved to America and was still learning English, leading to short sentences and misplaced words. His French accent was still heavy, but it was more prominent back then. Now, Laf could conceal it better, to the disappointment of John and anyone else who got the honor of listening to Lafayette call Adrienne back in Paris to gossip.  


The bathroom door closed behind John, leaving him alone and fully aware of how cold he actually is. He slipped out of his soaking grey socks. Did he not put on shoes? How did he not notice? He then stripped off his t-shirt and sweatpants, letting his underwear fall the the ground with them. John looked at himself in the mirror and let go of the breath he had been holding in. He was a lot paler than he should be. His freckles popped on his almost translucent skin. The area around his eyes was red and puffy, from crying. John does not remember crying enough for his eyes to be that red. He broke his own gaze to turn on the shower on the warmest setting and watched the steam rise before getting in.  


Warm water cascaded down his body like the raindrops, but it enveloped him in comfort versus the brisk chill he was met with while running. Blood slowly rose to his skin, bringing back his natural pigment and replacing his ghostly complexion. For a while, he just stood there. Not thinking. Not moving. Just standing.  


Lafayette must hate him. Running out after kissing is probably the worst thing John could have ever done to his best friend. The panic in Lafayette’s eyes is something that John can never forget. He probably called Aaron to drive just so that he would not get into a wreck. But why would Laf going searching for John if he hated John? Maybe he felt bad about everything. Maybe he realized his emotions were running high after the confrontation with Alex and having his car broke down. It was not like Lafayette actual cared for John more than a friend.  


The kiss was magical though. He did not want it to end. Lafayette’s lips were a lot softer than John had ever imagined. He tasted like mint and lavender, a flavor combination that John never thought he needed until that moment. If he had not ran away, he could have gotten more. They could have done a lot more, but of course, John had to run away.  


John heard a few knocks on the door and the sound of the door opening. He peeked out of the shower curtain to see Lafayette putting some clothes on the sink. He had changed out of the clothes he borrowed from John into some light blue flannel pants and a white t-shirt. John watched as Lafayette’s eyes drifted towards the shower before leaving. There is no way he hates John. No way.  


\--  


It took all of Lafayette’s will not to rip open the shower curtain and pour his heart out to John. He was still upset. Not at John, but what he did. He ran away from Lafayette. John was scared of Lafayette. He had put Lafayette in the same category as his father and Alex. That made him sick. Lafayette needed a distraction. Or a drink. Whichever one came first.  


A violin solo flooded the room. A picture of Jefferson mid sneeze popped up on the phone screen. Something must have happened at the White House.  


“Allô”  


“Wow, you answer my phone calls, but not Washington. You must be upset”, Jefferson’s Southern accent drawl was oddly comforting at the moment. Lafayette looked at his call log to see Washington had called him a half hour ago.  


“Is the White ‘ouse on fire?”, Lafayette asked, slowly growing disinterested. He and Thomas had been friends at one point in France, but they grew apart once he moved back to the States.  


“No… but”  


“Then, why are you calling me?” The water in the shower cut off, causing Lafayette to turn his head to the bathroom.  


“I’m calling to see how you are doin’. Everyone at the office is worried about you and John, and I am also worried about you”  


“ ‘e is fine. Why do you care?”  


“ Because I care about you, Gil. You haven’t forgotten that? I know I have said some shit in the past weeks, but ignore that right now. Are you okay?”, he sounded concerned. It reminded him of when they would spend late nights in Lafayette’s room talking about everything under the stars. Jefferson was a young, Christian boy from Virginia staying with the Lafayette family when they had first met. He was loud and opinionated. Laf’s parents told him to treat Thomas with love and support until he found out the way the world actually worked. One night, they had gotten drunk, and Thomas confessed that he had feelings for his best friend back at home, some guy named James. He was scared that they would not be accepted back at home. They cried and became more like brothers. Thomas left a year later, dead set on telling James how he felt and thankful that Lafayette had been there for him. They were set on calling each other once a week, but the calls came less and less. It was not until Lafayette moved to Washington D.C. they met again as co-workers.  


Tears began to well up in his eyes, and he decided to let the floodgates open. “ I do not know, mon ami. Jean ran away and did not tell me anything. ‘e just got up. Left. We were, you know, kissing when the power came on. The look in ‘is eyes was fear. Is ‘e scared of me, Thomas? I just love ‘im so much. I want ‘im to love me.” He was crying by the end of it.  


Thomas was silent. Then, there was a cough, but not from the phone. John stood in the hallway.  


“Did you just say that you love me?”


	8. Confession Time

‘What’s going on’ ran through John’s head. His best friend sat on the couch, mouth gaping like he was trying to figure out what to say. He loved him. Lafayette loved John.  


“ John, je suis desolee. Vous n'étiez pas supposer d'entendre cela. Vous détestez probablement moi maintenant.”, Lafayette began rattling apologies in French, but John did not care. His lips moved quickly with each word as his eyes looked frantically around the room. John just kept staring at Lafayette until he slowed down. His brown eyes finally landed on John’s hazel, and words stopped flying out of his mouth.  


Nothing was said as John walked to the couch. Lafayette turned his body to face John. He was waiting to be told to leave his own apartment, or for John to need a ride home. Something bad to happen to him. John whispered something to him, but it was so quiet and mumbled.  


“ I could not hear you.”  


John mumbled again. He played with his fingers and looked away from Lafayette. Finally, Lafayette took on of his hands and placed them on top of John’s. He glanced up. His face was red, and shallow breaths filled the air. Water began to pool at the bottom of his eyes. “ I think I love you too”, he finally said loud enough to be heard.  


Every nerve in Lafayette’s body became relieved. He tightened his grip on John’s hands. “ You think?”, he timidly asked.  


They both laughed. John wiped away his eyes. “ I love you too.”  


“You do not know how long I have waited to hear you say that”, Lafayette said, moving his hands into John’s hair.  


“ I think I have an idea”, John said, leaning in. Their lips met, and it was like saying hello to an old friend. It started out innocently and slowly began more and more familiar. Soon, John was straddling Lafayette’s lap. Soft moans were shared between the two men as Lafayette’s hands roamed, caressing John’s hips. He finally pushed gently on Lafayette’s chest, breaking the two apart. “ Take me”, he whispered.  


They got off the couch and walked towards the bedroom.  


\--  


Thomas sat in his living room with his phone on speaker with his side muted. James had went to go refill their glasses of wine. They were watching The Office when Gilbert called, causing for them to have to pause their date night. It was all worth it in the end. John and Gilbert’s love confessions were better than anything Jim and Pam had together. Once the moaning started, James decided to leave to get more wine. Thomas hung up his phone. He will let the two of them have their time.  


“ It was just getting good darling”, James said, walking into the room carrying their monogrammed glasses. He sat beside Thomas and covered himself up with the blanket they were sharing.  


“I know, but they just said I love you. I am an ass, but I do also believe in love”, Thomas said.  


“I can not believe they thought we would believe that they were dating for three years. Didn’t you set him up on a date with someone like two years ago?”  


“Adrienne, and the only people who would believe that Gilbert could keep a secret for more than a week is Hamilton and the public.” They both laughed at their shared memories of Gilbert calling Thomas once to catch up on gossip and to ask him about James. Then, another time when he had came into the Oval Office while Thomas was having a meeting with George to complain about the struggle of being single, even though the two of them knew about Gilbert’s feelings towards a certain veterinarian whose name rhymed with Lohn Jaurens.  


“ I can’t believe our plan worked”, James chuckled. It was his idea originally. Washington was in on it the entire time. Thomas and James would include Seabury, who is infamous for telling the press about everything that is remotely gossip, in one of their conversations about Gilbert’s love life. He would then leak it to the press, accidentally. Then, George would come in, trying to appease the situation, and would suggest a solution that would involve dating a friend. However, no one was prepared for how quickly the two would go through with their part. Even Angelica, who agreed to write their press release, came into Washington’s office afterwards, asking what was up.  


“Neither can I.”, Thomas said, kissing James cheek before unpausing their show.  


\--  


Sunlight filtered through the white curtains. John felt a warm person behind him and cuddled closer to him. The smell of sweat and sex hung in the air , but it did not bother John. The sheets had pooled at the end of the bed sometime during the night, causing for their naked bodies to be visible to anyone who walked into the room. Everything was perfect in this very moment. Lafayette’s strong arm around his stomach was the finishing touch.  


After a couple of minutes soaking in everything that had happened last night, John heard Lafayette waking up. No wait, Gilbert waking up. He had told him to call him by his real name last night. He also told John that he loved him, multiple times, constantly. “Mon amour”, and again as he woke up. “ Can we just stay in bed all day?”, Lafayette asked. His French accent was heavier from being just woken up.  


John smiled as he felt the scruff of Gilbert’s unshaven jaw lay down on his own face. He then placed a small kiss on the outer corner of John’s lips.  


“ I think that could work”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the end guys! I have love writing this story so much. Y'all support has helped me finish this story up. School just started back up, so I am kinda busy. However, I do plan on going back through this story and editing the heck out of it and making it like 50x better. Thank you guys so much for the support and I hope to see y'all again soon!!

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr- http://bowbows.tumblr.com/  
> Kudos and Comments keep me going so please leave them!!


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